No central road marking.

[pipme]

Hi,

Wiltshire & N.Somerset experimenting with no central white lines ... It is reckoned to result in less accidents etc. Try driving in fog without the centre lines !!

Is that because the belligerant hog in his/her virtual Humvee, remains that or worse, and the careful driver takes even more care ....
Bit like (non-specs) speed cameras really, bad driving, other than speeding over about 50 metres, is rewarded by going un-noticed.

A little more desktop engineering ..... If it aint broke etc etc

P

 

[AdamW]

I've wondered if sometimes a rather high central kerb might be a good idea in some places. Obviously not all, but a single lane only wide enough for one car would certainly stop things like people coming onto your side of the road on a blind corner.

We have those in my town going onto roundabouts and they certainly make me check my lane discipline... I did see a car that had clipped one once, let's just say he didn't drive it home!

 

[AdamW]

Of course big kerbs wouldn't really help on a straight as you would never be able to overtake the Humvee on a clear day when he is trying to get above 20mph and you want to get past.

Has anyone actually seen a Humvee on the roads of Britain anyway? I have seen about two, ever! They're about 7 or 8 feet wide!

 

[pipme]

Seen a few minis as wide as the Hummer ... virtually I mean !!

Here is another: Roundabouts .... watch the traffic approaching the roundabout and their give-way lines to your RIGHT .... I bet they are expecting you to give way to them, even though you may be four wheels beyond your give-way line onto the roundabout by the time they reach theirs.

I thought you gave way to traffic to your right which is ON THE ROUNDABOUT, not those approaching it !!

P

 

[AdamW]

Oh, so you mean people who straight-line across roundabouts? That elite club of morons who two or three times a week like to ensure that I am changing my underwear regularly? Honestly, do they think that if they turn the steering wheel too far the exhaust pipes will fall off?! If you can't hold your lane on a roundabout, you're going too fast for your skills as a driver and the handling of your car... (rant rant rant)

Pip, your point is a valid one... Perhaps we have someone here who is a traffic cop or accident investigator... What would be the opinion if car A gets onto the roundabout first, but gets T-boned from the right-hand side by car B because car B was going 40mph and aiming to go straight across?

 

[pipme]

I reckon the easy out for your scenario Adam, would be knock for knock, if no witnesses can be bothered to give of their time and involvement ... Then the belligerent wins ... T-boned will take even greater care next time, as usual will have to think for the other guy too !!

There are some very poorly laid out roundabouts (r/a), most likely where the junction was not designed for a r/a. Approaches from give way lines to r/a centre vastly differing in length ... being on the r/a is having passed beyond ones give way markings and before ones exit .... not by any means judged by proximity to r/a centre ... But I think this proximity has a subconscious effect on us all .... Especially those with the moby glued to their ear !!

P

 

[david and julie]

I reckon the newer roundabouts you see these days are designed on a computer programme. The lanes are the same size all the way round! this may make sense to a computer but can't happen in the real world.

Dangerous problems are caused with large trucks cutting the corners, many car drivers don't realise trucks need a bigger turning circle than the road markings suggest.

Have you noticed how you start in one lane, then have to change lane on a roundabout these days. I have noticed this more in busy, newer shopping areas etc, it seems to me they are looking for cheap ways of theoretically increasing traffic flow, at the detriment of common sense.

 

[AdamW]

Yes, I have noticed that myself. I have a wonderful roundabout on my way home: a two lane road up to it, then no less than four single-lane exits on one side of it alone. No-one seems to know which lane to be in for which exit (of course the lane I use is correct ). And the lanes go all criss-cross all the way around it because as you pointed out, you need to change lanes halfway round!

The problem with two-lane roundabouts (in my town anyway) is that there are plenty of people who are just too lazy to turn the f***ing steering wheel enough to stay in their lane. So every time you come across one of them you start to wonder just how much closer they are going to get. Sometimes so close that you toot just to remind them you are there, then they get all angry at you.

I sometimes feel sorry for truck drivers. 99% of the artic drivers I see are very concientious drivers who seem well aware that it will spoil everyone's day if they hit you. As David says, people don't realise trucks need more turning room. One I have seen is where the truck moves towards the left to clear a right-hand turn, people then think "Oooh, he's moved over, I'll nip past him on the roundabout".

I still can't figure out why vehicles that are all limited to the same speed try to overtake each other on the motorway though

Perhaps we should move towards the US system of "intersections"... Only problem with that is that they are rubbish if you have a lot of cars using them (just look at any box junction in London!)

 

[securespark]

Lane discipline stinks in Manchester, too. I was in the smoke this weekend, and much preferred driving thro' central London, as everyone accepts there is going to be a bit of push & shove otherwise noone gets anywhere. Consequently, they let you in. Not like up here, everyone is sooooo possesive "F O, I'm not letting you in, Pal!!" (The Pal bit added as that's what people say up here, all it seems except me!!)

Those same people who are frightened to turn the s/wheel in case the exhaust drops off manage to take an easy left turn as if they are driving an artic.........

You are behind them and you see the indicator go on (that's if they bother) then you see the car swing right over to the crown, then they turn left.....And you thought PS made things easier......

Got a good line for drivers who don't indicate:

Pull up wind down window.

Say, "Beautiful motor, mate"

Chuffed geezer caught off guard "Cheers". He smiles

"But your indicators are not working"

"Yes, they are"

"WELL F*CKING USE THEM THEN!!"

Then you pull away.....

 

[AdamW]

I used to live in Knightsbridge (just around the corner from Harrods, don't you know, phnarr phnarr phnarr). I too found that people are a bit pushy but they will let you in (same in Paris and Rome too).

But, now I live in Hertfordshire and people here drive with the same pushiness yet less skill. Scary. I usually drive like a real old woman, as in dead on the speed limit, trying to maintain my 2 second gap (cos only a fool breaks the two second rule ) and I get beeped all the time. "It's a 40mph limit, that means you drive at 50!".

Well, my town has started to get police speed traps and I have already noticed the speed come down (but only on the roads that get patrolled!)

Being a youngish chap I reckon my insurance would rocket if I got a ticket or had a smash.

I'll remember the traffic light phrase!

 

[securespark]

I have six points......I 'm not usually a madster. In fact, I went down the smoke and back at a cruise controlled 56 and achieved 746 miles out of 39 quids worth of diesel....

But I got done on a bypass that had just that morning been downgraded from 70 to 50....... I was doing 64.

Then on exactly the same day the next year, I was clocked doing 91 (that WAS norty) on the M61 at 2am in the morning, with me the only car in sight.

Last year I didn't drive at all on that June day. This year I shall stick to limits.

And I still say I'm not superstitious........am I?

 

[pipme]

Nice to have :- A real adjustable speed limiter just like the F1 boys in the pit lane, as opposed to cruise control.
Does Renault actually fit one as an extra currently ?

I bet lots of people get caught by camera when trying to find their way around a different area ...... So the locals are effectively allowed to drive the limit only where the known cameras are situated? We are even told roughly where the mobile checks are being carried out too, newcomers are the prey !! I remember an article which stated that most road accidents occur within 5 miles of home ... Locals ?
Guess I now realise that the perceived national dislike for newcomers / immigrants etc is actually endemic ... subconsciously we are being educated that way, are we not ?

P

 

[AdamW]

Only accident I have had was within 100 yards of home! My car decided to go ice skating at 3mph sideways into a kerb... Cost a lot to fix, but every time it snows or gets icy I see a new tell-tale tyre track going up the kerb in the exact same spot.

Speed limiter would be good, I had a mondeo hirecar with cruise control and found that down steeper hills it would just accelerate when lifting off the throttle would keep the speed in check. I had a Fiat Stilo once too, that just beeps at you annoyingly when you go above the set speed. I think some more expensive cars have decent electronic ones.

 

[securespark]

The Octavias cruise stays where you put it, to within 2mph, even down/up hill.

 

[AdamW]

The Octavias cruise stays where you put it, to within 2mph, even down/up hill.

At least in the old days I would have been able to say "What, you mean your Skoda always stays within 2mph of 0mph even on a hill? You must have upgraded the handbrake!"

Bl**dy VW. Trust a german company to take away all our fun.